Why is it that every time a Black NFL quarterback attempts to get paid, an immediate backlash ensues?
It’s a rhetorical question of course. We all know the answer.
By now, NFL fans are conditioned to the fact that quarterbacks will always dominate salary allocations. In the majority of cases, rightfully so, regardless of the staggering price tag.
In 2020, Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes signed a record-setting ten-year, $450 million deal. That remains the largest contract (in terms of overall dollars) in the league.
Aaron Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million contract with the Packers this past March. The first two years of $42 million and $59.515 million are guaranteed. That’s approximately $50 million per year, the largest (annual) contract in NFL history.
A few weeks later, Cleveland traded for Texans’ embattled star quarterback Deshaun Watson and gave him an astounding five-year, fully guaranteed, $230 million contract.
Setting Watson’s current personal situation aside, those contracts are completely justifiable based upon talent and athletic performance.
But over the last few weeks, a disturbing buzz began emanating from the NFL community regarding Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray, two extremely talented players with extremely similar characteristics.
The primary one being they’re both Black.
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